Portable hydraulic sand and gravel lifter



Nov. 18, 1941. c. KALBALJGH 2,262,943

PORTABLE HYDRAULIC SAND AND GRAVEL LIFTER Filed Jan. 3, 1939 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 18, 1941 PORTABLE HYDRAULIC SAND AND GRAVEL LIFTER Clayton L. Kalbaugh, Oakland, Calif., assignor of one-half to Kenneth E. Jones, Oakland, Calif.

Application January 3, 1939, Serial No. 249,019

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in a portable hydraulic sand and gravel lifter, and it consists of the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a portable hydraulic sand and gravel lifter, which makes use of a fluid-entraining action for lifting sand and gravel from a river bed or the like, through a short length of pipe and then conveying this sand and gravel to a sluice box or other apparatus for recovering gold therefrom. The device is portable and is adapted to be moved by hand for causing the suction pipe to pass over the desired area and remove the sand and gravel therefrom. The device is designed to be used in rivers and can be adjusted to operate at different water depths. A valve is provided for shutting off the water to the entraining part of the device and this will relieve the suction and permit any material that has become caught in the suction pipe, to drop therefrom and thus automatically clear the pipe for further use.

If desired, a booster jet of water may be injected into the conduit carrying the material, at

a spaced distance from where the entraining action takes place. The device itself is not only portable, but the power plant for forcing water through the device is also portable. I make use of a source of power such as a one-horse motor, and connect this motor with a water pump for drawing water from the river and for forcing it through the device to create the entraining action that will exert suflicient suction to lift the material. It is obvious that a larger motor will permit a larger device to be used.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel fea tures of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a schematic showing of the entire device; and

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section showing the device on a larger scale, portions being shown in elevation.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a casting A of the shape shown in Figure 2 to adapt it to be grasped in the hand. This casting has a fluid passageway I therein with a water inlet 2, and a small water outlet 3 for a purpose hereinafter described. The main water passageway I is curved at 4 andhasa jet-shaped'orifice 5 designed to direct a streamof water centrally through a compartment 6. A branch inlet 1 communicates with the compartment 6 at a point near the orifice or nozzle 5. v

A suction pipe 8 is connected with the branch inlet 1. In Figure 1, I show the outer end 9 of the suction pipe as being cut at an angle in order to cover a larger area. It is obvious that the outer end of the pipe may extend at right angles to the pipe axis or at any other angle desired. The reason for providing the casting A with a curved pipe portion is to permit the pipe to be grasped in the hand and be readily moved over the river bed in any manner desired. The curved pipe therefore, provides a natural hand-grip portion.

Water is pumped to the passage l by means of the power unit indicated generally at B and shown in Figure 1. A motor In is mounted on a portable base H and may be of any type desired. I have shown'a one-horse power internal combustion engine and the engine shaft l2 rotates a pulley or gear 13. A standard gear pump [4 is also mounted on the base II and its drive pulley I5 is connected to the pulley l3 by means of a belt I6. A suction hose l1 extends from the pump l4 down into the river I8 and sucks the water up into the pump. An outlet pipe l9 carries a safety valve 20 of standard construction. This valve 20 will permit water, delivered by the pump, to issue from an opening 2| when the water flowing through a hose 22, connected to the outlet [9, is shut off by means of a valve 23.

The valve 23 may be connected directly to the inlet 2 of the casting A or it may be connectedto a pipe section 24 that in turn is screwed into the inlet 2. The pipe section 24 is preferably three feet in length and if desired, a similar section (not shown) may be attached thereto and thus increase the pipe length to six feet. One or more pipe sections 24 are used when the device is submerged in deeper water. When the pipe sections are used, the operator grips the section 24 for moving the device instead of gripping the casting A.

I will now describe how the material is conveyed to a sluice box. In Figures 1 and 2 I show a rubber coupling 25 with one end secured to the outlet casting A by means of a clamp 26. The rubber coupling or sleeve is preferably six inches long, although I do not Wish to be con-' fined to this exact measurement. The free end of the coupling is clamped to a flexible metal tubing 21 by means of a clamp 28. The tubing is preferably four feet long or longer and it has its free end connected to a second rubber coupling 29 by means of a clamp 30. This coupling is similar to the coupling 25 and is also aproximately six inches long. A hose or flexible tube 3| is connected to the coupling 29.by means of a clamp 32 and this hose is preferably twelve feet to fourteen feet long and extends to a sluice box indicated generally at 33. A clamp 34 is attached to the sluice box and in turn holds the hose 3| in a position where the sand and gravel will be directed into the sluice box. Although Figure 1 shows the two couplings and the flexible metal tubing 2! extending in a straight line, in actual practice the flexibility of these parts will permit them to curve in conformity with any obstructions'in the river bottom and to. extend upwardly toward the sluice box.

If desired, a booster jet may be used' to aid in conveying the water and material to the hose 3|. When the booster jet is not used, the. open-. ing 3 in the casting A is plugged. I have shown a flexible metal tubing '35 communicating with the outlet 3 and with afitting 36. This fitting has an elbow with a flange 3! that rests on the flexible coupling 29. The tubular portion of the fittingextends through an opening in the coupling and'this portion is exteriorly threaded for receiving a nut 38 by means of which the fitting is clamped to the coupling and makes a Watertight seal'therewith. A nozzle 39 is adjustably mounted in the fitting and has an inclined outlet 40.- for directing a stream of water at an angle and toward, the center of the coupling for aiding in moving the material flowing through the coupling. The outlet 40 is positioned close to the wall of the coupling in order not to interfere with the flow of material therethrough. The flexiblemetal tubing 35 will'permit the tubing 2,1.to be curved in any mannerdesired.

From thelforegoing description of the variousparts of the device,the operation thereof may be readily understood. In Figure 1, I have indicated the river at 18 and'the river bottom is, shown at ll. The d'evijce is. set up in the manner shown and is connected', to the power unit and to the sluice box..

It,is obvious that the device .can be used for other. purposes than recovering gold and therefore any desired material up to a certain. size may, be. sucked up through the pipe 8 anddelivered from the hose 3!. used for lifting sand or. gravel'from a river bed, the pipe 22 is grasped and held in a position to place theflinlet end 9 of thesuction pipe 8 adjacent to the river bottom 4!.

the fluid issuing from the jet 5, is sufficient to lift the sand and gravel up to the compartment 6 and then the material is, moved through the couplings, tubing and hose by the force. of the- Water'flowing through these parts. The booster jet may or may not be used, as desired. A con-- tin'uous flow ,of material will issue from the hos 3lgar'1d-will flow into the sluice box. 33. I

"In shallow water, the casting A is grasped, while in deeper water, the pipe 24 or an additional pipe section similar to section 24, is grasped. The hose 22 is preferably twenty-five feet .in length in order to give great flexibility When the device is.

The. suction ere-- ated' at the end 9 bythe entraining. action of The device has been given an actual test under practical working conditions, and when the motor I0 is turning at 2000 R. P. M. and the pump 14 is revolving at 400 R. P. M., the pump will deliver six gallons of water per minute into the hose 22. This water in issuing from the orifice or jet 5 will create an entraining action that will lift 228 gallons of Water per minute through the suction pipe 8. This water in rushing through the suction pipe, carries with it 24 pounds of material per minute. The hose 3| will therefore deliver to the sluice box 28.8 gallons perminute plus the 24 pounds of material.

I have found that when the motor is speeded up to 2860 R. P. M. and the pump to 576 R. P. M., eight gallons of water will be delivered from the pump causing 22 gallons of water to be sucked through the pipe 8. The Water lifted by the pipe will carry with it 55 pounds of sand. The best results were obtained when the motor was operated at 3220 R. P. M. and the pump was rotated at 644 R. P. M. Under these conditions, the; pump delivered nine gallons of water per minute and 22.2 gallons of water was lifted by means'of the pipe 8: and this water carried 64- pounds of sand therewith. The device had sufficient force. to lift thematerial four feet above they water level in theriver. v

, The device: not only can beused for lifting ma terial that will-- flow through the pipe 8, but, the; coupling 25 may be removed from the casting A, and the water, issuing from the jet 5 may be, used for hydraulic mining. In this event, the pipe 8: is also not used. It is possible to use the device for draining bodies of waterandit: will remove thirty gallons of Water a: -minute.- Where a greatersucti'on force i desired; a. suction pipe with'an' end extending; at right angles to. the axis maybe used.

=No pipe sections 24; are connected to the casting A when the device-is-used in shallow water of approximately one andone-half feet in depth. Where the water is four feet deep, it is best to use pipe. section 24, and where the water is seven 1. A portable hydraulic. material lifter comprising an elongated casting having a materialreceiving compartment, asuction pipe disposed below the casting and discharging into the com partment and having an inlet end for the material, a flexible material-conveying pipe leading from the compartment, a rigid water-conveying pipe connected to the casting and arranged for delivering water past the outlet end of the suc tion :pipe under pressure and create an entrainingfaction'in the latter, whereby material will be drawn through the suction pipe and forcedalong" the flexible material-conveying pipe by the water issuing from. the rigid pipe, the inlet end of the suction pipe being positioned aheadof and below the v casting when the latteris substantially horizontally disposed, said rigid pipe extending above thecasting at. substantially the same angle as the; suction pipe extendsbelow the casting and con stituting a handle which may be manually:

grasped by an operator for supporting the lifter and also permitting him to direct the movement of the inlet end of the suction pipe over a stream bed and the like to remove material therefrom, the rigid pipe extending substantially parallel to the suction pipe and having suflicient length to project out of the water in the stream.

2. A portable sand and gravel lifter designed to be moved by hand and comprising an elongated casting having a material-receiving compartment, a suction pipe communicating with the compartment and extending forwardly beyond the front of the compartment to give unobstructed view to the inlet end of the suction pipe from above and, downwardly at an angle relative to the casting when the latter is substantially horizontally disposed, a water nozzle in the compartment for creating an entraining action in the suction pipe, means including a rigid pipe for delivering water under pressure to the nozzle, the rigid pipe being connected to the compartment in back of the entrance end of the suction pipe and extending at an angle thereto, means extending rearwardly from the compartment for conveying water and material from the compartment, said rigid pipe constituting a handle for the casting and suction pipe and having sufiicient length to project out of the water in the stream, whereby an operator may freely move the lifter by hand for causing the suction pipe to remove material from different places in a stream bed.

CLAYTON L. KALBAUGH. 

